Software update, upgrade--what's the difference?

Find out the differences between an Apple software update and an upgrade.

Upgrade&NewLine;&NewLine;An Apple "software upgrade" means a major, standalone version of a software product. Such products are usually something you purchase. OS X upgrades are sometimes also called "reference releases."&NewLine;&NewLine;For example, OS X Mountain Lion is an upgrade that is available from the Mac App Store.&NewLine;

Update&NewLine;&NewLine;A "software update" updates a major &lpar;reference release&rpar; version of software, but does not upgrade it to the next major version &lpar;if one exists&rpar;. Software updates are made available via download from the Software Update application &lpar;or the Mac App Store in Mountain Lion&rpar; in OS X and typically provide fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac. For example, Apple provided the OS X v10.7.4 Update as a software update to OS X Lion v10.7.

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Key differences

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A software update is usually downloadable free of charge&semi; a software upgrade usually is not.